I suspect those photos weren't taken in Florida? Probably Brazilian (dream time return)? Too much water alone doesn't make them flower like that. Rains cats and dogs here and i've never seen them flower heavily like that.

These photos where taken today in my yard. This is just one of my jabuticabas. I probably have a total of 15 or so. I rarely fertilize this one but it's growing in soil that's constantly moist.

A little info. I'm 62 years old and I've been growing jabuticaba's since long before the majority of tropical fruit growers even heard of them. Perhaps even yourself. I grew my first fruiting trees in Pennsylvania in the 1970's and they were shipped to me via tractor trailer from Davie, Florida by Bill Rabinaeu. He charged me $35.00 per tree. I think I had 2 or 3 trucked up to me and all of them were flowering. I've written articles about tropcial fruit growing for various publications such as Fine Gardening magazine and both the rare fruit council of Florida and the California rare fruit growers.

These photos where taken today in my yard. This is just one of my jabuticabas. I probably have a total of 15 or so. I rarely fertilize this one but it's growing in soil that's constantly moist.

A little info. I'm 62 years old and I've been growing jabuticaba's since long before the majority of tropical fruit growers even heard of them. Perhaps even yourself. I grew my first fruiting trees in Pennsylvania in the 1970's and they were shipped to me via tractor trailer from Davie, Florida by Bill Rabinaeu. He charged me $35.00 per tree. I think I had 2 or 3 trucked up to me and all of them were flowering. I've written articles about tropcial fruit growing for various publications such as Fine Gardening magazine and both the rare fruit council of Florida and the California rare fruit growers.

I've been a myrciaria junkie long before it became popular....

Ray

Ray, very impressive. Good job! And thanks for the background information.

Nice Ray...having been a member of CRFG and RFCI from back in the '70s I do remember your articles in the newsletters. Lots of old timers were growing "rare fruits" long ago, swapping seeds and scions between themselves that now are available in places like Home Depot. I do recall visiting Bill in Davie, experiencing fire ants, and seeing his jaboticabas. I came back with some stuff, mailed some back, but alas, not a jaboticaba. My jaboticaba is about 8-9 ft tall and produces huge fruit, but never flowers like yours, gonna water it again today. There is a photo at http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tropicalfruits/msg0722482724091.html of some mangos at Ray's, but one photo that shows his jaboticabas. Great photos! Thanks for posting.

RayI have never tried jaboticaba so when you are drowning in fruit let me know when the tasting table is ready and I will make a road trip!BTW did your 100 gallon Glen produce mangoes for you yet?Marin

The bark is disappearing? Oh no, I still see at least 15 or 20% of the bark on the trunks of those trees. The rest is freakin' obliterated by a profusion of blooms. Nicely grown, nicely photographed.....very impressive bloom to say the least. Thanks for posting.

Hi Marin!! I just tried jaboticaba for the very first time myself when my husband too me to Excalibur last month. They sort of (a little) remind me of a not so sweet grape?? Hard to describe, but its pretty good!

I just tried jaboticaba for the very first time myself when my husband too me to Excalibur last month. They sort of (a little) remind me of a not so sweet grape?? Hard to describe, but its pretty good!

If they were not sweet, they were not fully mature/ripe. A fully mature, ripe jaboticaba is as sweet as grape....maybe sweeter.

Pretty photos! Mine are currently flowering also. I have one that just produced a lot fruit in January and is holding some new fruit. Others look like they are getting ready to bust out in flowers. I just burned a bunch of oak yesterday and spread a little bit of wood ash around them. Gotta keep them watered for sure. Thnx for the photos.

I just tried jaboticaba for the very first time myself when my husband too me to Excalibur last month. They sort of (a little) remind me of a not so sweet grape?? Hard to describe, but its pretty good!

If they were not sweet, they were not fully mature/ripe. A fully mature, ripe jaboticaba is as sweet as grape....maybe sweeter.

It's easy to get fooled and pick them immature as immature fruits will be fully black. You have to wait for fruits to start to soften up a little bit before picking....then they will be sweet.

One of the indicia of maturity for me is when the fruit begins to dangle slightly from it stem. While the fruits are held in an extended fashion directly perpendicular to the trunk, there is more chance of incomplete maturity/ripeness. Of course when you get a really full fruit set, the fruits get wedged together and can't droop on their stem whatsoever. Then its taste trial and error to get the picking time correct.

One of the indicia of maturity for me is when the fruit begins to dangle slightly from it stem. While the fruits are held in an extended fashion directly perpendicular to the trunk, there is more chance of incomplete maturity/ripeness. Of course when you get a really full fruit set, the fruits get wedged together and can't droop on their stem whatsoever. Then its taste trial and error to get the picking time correct.

No trial and error involved. Just squeeze the jaboticaba fruit between your fingers. Ripe fruit will give. Unripe fruit will be hard.

For me, there is a fine line between perfectly ripe, still very firm, jaboticaba fruits and those that are slightly more ripe and beginning to have give to the touch that Oscar describes. I find that the birds get my fruits during the beginning to soften/give stage. This is one fruit that I can sort of get a jump on the wild life and harvest the fruits while still very firm, but oh so very sweet. My dangling fruit method allows me to do this. Of course, if you beat the birds to them, Oscar's tactile suggestions will get you to where you want to go.For me the firmer the fruit, the better as long as full maturity/sweetness/flavor has been acheived.

For me, there is a fine line between perfectly ripe, still very firm, jaboticaba fruits and those that are slightly more ripe and beginning to have give to the touch that Oscar describes. I find that the birds get my fruits during the beginning to soften/give stage. This is one fruit that I can sort of get a jump on the wild life and harvest the fruits while still very firm, but oh so very sweet. My dangling fruit method allows me to do this. Of course, if you beat the birds to them, Oscar's tactile suggestions will get you to where you want to go.For me the firmer the fruit, the better as long as full maturity/sweetness/flavor has been acheived.

Throw a bird net over your tree. If you pick the fruits fully soft, then they are a lot sweeter. I never bother covering my tree because even though the birds get a very few fruits there's always more than enough for everybody to be happy.

So, the jaboticaba that I left behind in Naples looked like that. I didn't know how special it was. I did give it a lot of water having learned from someone that in Brazil they get flooded frequently. I also put down a lot of potassium. I just thought they were very prolific trees.

I did have to put bird netting over them, so that the fruits would ripen. In fact, the bird netting was pulled together around the trunk so that ripe ones fell off and could be gathered at the bottom of the netting.